Words With Friends Celebrity Challenge

Zynga has teamed up with American Express to launch the first-ever Words With Friends Celebrity Challenge. Eight stars will wage brainy battle with each other to win money for their favorite charities: actors Kristen Bell, Sophia Bush, Jonah Hill, Eva Longoria and Edward Norton; musicians John Legend and Snoop Lion; and Boston Celtics captain Paul Pierce.

Words With Friends players who are not (yet) famous can also get in on the action, joining their favorite celebrity's team and playing words in games during the tournament to score team points. The teams with the highest scores will grab the biggest shares of the $500,000 winnings for their celebrity's charity of choice.

It's a really exciting Zynga First. I love how social the whole idea is--anyone can dive into the action and reap fun rewards! Players who join a celebrity team will get 50 free Word-O-Meters when they play their first word; after five words, they'll be entered into the Play a Celebrity Sweepstakes for a chance to play directly against their team's celebrity.

This glitzy tournament ran from September 27 through October 3. The final match pitted Edward Norton against Sophia Bush for a heady face-off. Check out all the action here.